Latest California Healthline Stories
Studies Examine Impact of Electronic Health Records, Computerized Prescription Order Entry Systems
The adoption of electronic health records by the Veterans Affairs Health System is helping the agency “do a better job of treating patients,” according to a study funded by VA, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and other sources, the AP/Washington Times reports.
Negotiators for 14 San Francisco hotels on Thursday extended to union officials a contract proposal that would keep employee contributions to health care benefits at the current $10 per month but would not guarantee a cap on employee contributions if costs increased beyond 10% to 12% annually, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
FDA Has Done ‘Spectacular Job’ With Public Safety, White House Chief of Staff Andy Card Says
FDA has done a “spectacular job” in efforts to protect the public and has met the “expectation of improving health care,” White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card said Sunday on ABC’s This Week, the AP/Raleigh News & Observer reports.
Assembly member Dario Frommer (D-Los Angeles) last week “accus[ed]” Blue Shield of California of illegally denying some CalPERS members with chronic illnesses the right to continued care at Sutter Health next year, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Eli Lilly Warns of Liver Damage Associated With ADHD Medication Strattera
Eli Lilly on Friday warned that its attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder medication Strattera could cause liver problems in a small percentage of patients and placed a boldface warning on the drug’s label and in prescribing information to alert doctors of the possible side effect, the AP/Providence Journal reports.
New Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit To Cost $6 Trillion Over 75 Years, GAO Estimates
The new Medicare prescription drug benefit will cost current U.S. workers and retirees $6.3 trillion over 75 years and as much as $8.1 trillion over 75 years if future workers are included in the estimate, according to figures released last week by the Government Accountability Office, the Wall Street Journal reports.
CDC Advisory Committee Recommends Eased Guidelines on Priority for Flu Vaccinations
The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices on Friday recommended that public health officials beginning Jan. 3 ease guidelines on who should receive priority for flu vaccinations to include people ages 50 to 64 and those in close contact with people in high-risk groups, the Washington Post reports.
CMS officials have threatened to withhold about $200 million in federal funding for Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center over allegations that administrators continue to allow police to use Taser stun guns to subdue aggressive psychiatric patients, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Klein, Penhoet Elected To Head Stem Cell Panel
The Independent Citizens Oversight Committee, which is charged with determining how to distribute funds for stem cell research available through Proposition 71, on Friday voted Proposition 71 campaign Chair Robert Klein and Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation President Edward Penhoet to serve as the panel’s chair and vice chair, respectively, the Los Angeles Times reports.
State Budget Proposal Would Cut Health Programs To Close Spending Gap, Finance Director Says
A new plan to close a projected $8.1 billion spending gap relies heavily on reducing the budgets of health care programs for elderly and low-income residents, Tom Campbell, the state’s new director of finance, said Friday, the Los Angeles Times reports.